Hello All!
The Active and Safe Routes to School Program at Green Action Centre has
applied for the AVIVA Community Fund. We can get up to $150,000 towards
the development of our CounterPoint App, but would like to ask for 2
minutes of your days over the next two weeks!
Basically, here's how it works - you go to
https://www.avivacommunityfund.org/ideas/acf17178 and register your e-mail
or sign in through Facebook. Then you can vote once per day over the next
15 days. You get 15 votes and we would love if you'd give them all to us,
but there are some awfully cute animals on there vying for attention too!
We will be sending out some reminders throughout the campaign, but would
appreciate if you could share, tweet and forward this message to help
spread the word!
Thanks so much!
Jackie, Anders and Lea
--
*Jackie Avent* | Active and Safe Routes to School
Green Action Centre <http://greenactioncentre.ca/>
3rd floor, 303 Portage Avenue* | *(204) 925-3773
Green Action Centre is your non-profit hub for greener living.
Support our work by becoming a
member<http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/memberships/>
Find us here<http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/>
Your kids may be physically illiterate
By: Kristine Hayward
http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/your-kids-may-be-physically-illitera…
Running, skipping, jumping, throwing a ball; all these things should come
naturally when you're a kid, right?
Well, maybe not so much anymore.
Children used to spend hours outside, playing leapfrog, rolling down
hills, playing catch at the playground or skating at the local community
club rink.
By being active, they learned the basic skills that allowed them to
participate in more complex sports and activities as they grew older. A kid
who learns to catch a ball at age four or five will be able to play pick-up
baseball when they are six or seven. A kid who learns how to skate when
they are young can participate in a variety of sports and activities that
involve skating.
But times have changed.
Today, fewer children possess the fundamental skills that kids used to
develop naturally through active play. In other words, with the loss of
free play opportunities, our kids are less physically literate.
This poses a serious problem because if kids lack the fundamental physical
skills, they are less likely to participate in sports and other physical
activities as they grow up. And that means they will not be as active as
they need to be to maintain good health.
Dean Kriellaars, a professor at the University of Manitoba's School of
Medical Rehabilitation, is an expert in the emerging field of physical
literacy. He says parents need to be made aware of the growing problem of
physical illiteracy, and what they can do to reverse the trend.
"Physical activity is the key to good health. Unless parents take more of
an interest in this issue, the generation growing up today are going to
experience a lot of health problems that could be avoided simply by being
more active," he says.
The 2013 Active Healthy Kids Canada report serves as evidence of the
problem. It cites a 2012 survey that found that although 58 per cent of
Canadian parents walked to school when they were kids, only 28 per cent of
their children walk to school today. In just one decade (2000 to 2010), the
proportion of five- to 17-year-olds using only inactive modes of
transportation (bus, train or car) to get to and from school has increased
to 62 per cent from 51 per cent.
The time spent driving to and from places, along with the time spent in
front of the computer and playing video games, all add up to the fact only
five per cent of Canadian kids meet the physical activity guidelines of 60
minutes of moderate to vigorous activity per day.
"Exploring the world in a physical way is critical to the process, from
learning what does and does not work, to attempts at movement, to learning
spatial awareness to confidence and creativity in movement," says
Kriellaars, adding a life-long attitude toward fitness starts early, often
between Grades 3 and 6.
You're probably thinking your children are learning these skills in school,
the same way they learn their ABCs. They are! But just like reading and
writing, families and communities need to support the skills learned at
school. This is done by providing opportunities to practise and master
fundamental movement skills outside school hours.
The good news is efforts are underway to make our kids more physically
literate. Community programs are focusing more on skill development. And
neighbourhoods are being redesigned to support better physical activity.
Kriellaars is the first to admit there are no easy fixes to the problem.
But if parents start learning more about the problem, they will be able to
take steps to fix it.
*Kristine Hayward is a physical activity promotion co-ordinator with the
Winnipeg Regional Health Authority.*
Activities that encourage physical literacy
HERE are some ways you can help your child become more physically literate:
- Speak to your child's physical education / health teacher to see where
they are strong or need work, and what suggestions they have to support
their development of these skills.
- Encourage active, unstructured, outdoor play.
- Practise tossing and catching items. Start with a softer, larger ball
and move to smaller objects and balls that bounce. Use what you have... a
rolled-up sock or a ball made out of crumpled newspaper. Try throwing with
each hand -- overhand and underhand. Aim at a laundry basket or garbage
can. Start catching with two hands and then with one.
- Try activities in different environments like sliding or skating on
ice and snow. Visit your local arena during public skating or sign up for
skating lessons.
- Practise moving in water. Visit your local pool or sign up for
swimming lessons.
- Jump through the air. Practise cartwheels and rolls. Join a gymnastics
club.
- Create an obstacle course in your yard or living room. Climb over a
chair, under the table. Hop down the hallway and jump over a scarf. The
options are endless.
- Practise balance. Stand on one foot. Walk along a curb.
- Play skipping or hopping games. Hopscotch and jumping rope can be fun
and go a long way to developing a variety of skills.
- Provide opportunities for games that involve striking, such as road
hockey, tennis or baseball. Play a pickup game of hockey in the driveway.
Head to a local park with a bat and ball to play a game of 500.
*Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition September 27, 2013
A27*
City Hall RoundupStaff to walk through options
http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/fire-department-ot-for-print-2253073…
A motion to have staff consider options for re-opening Portage and Main to
pedestrians sailed through council without debate Wednesday.
Coun. Jenny Gerbasi, who moved the motion, said she wasn't expecting any
debate because all staff are being asked is to consider options to
facilitate the movement of pedestrians through the intersection in 2017.
Gerbasi said the agreement with the city that closed the intersection to
pedestrians expires in 2017, adding the city should be ready if council
wants to take that action.
Mayor Sam Katz wasn't taking any position on the issue, adding it will be
up to the council of the day to decide what to do with the intersection.
Katz said he doesn't expect city staff to spend a lot of time on the
subject, adding a competition on how best to open the intersection was held
among planners when Glen Murray was mayor, adding those ideas are still on
file.
"The ideas are already there. You don't have to spend any more (money) on
ideas, they exist," Katz told reporters following council. "You can dust
them off and put them in place -- if that's the will of council."
*Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition September 26, 2013 0
*
If you attended Ciclovia the Downtown Biz would appreciate your feedback
Thanks
Dave
o
_ ( \ _
(X)\ /(X)
,
Ciclovia was again a great success this year! Thanks to all of you for your
continued support throughout the event!
With your additions and feedback from our Ciclovia meetings, we have created
the 2013 Ciclovia Survey to gain feedback from those that attended.
We hope to gain their thoughts about Winnipeg's Ciclovia and have their say
to help us make Ciclovia even more of a success in 2014!
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/L9P6RQ6
Best,
Rose Dominguez
Project Assistant I Downtown Winnipeg BIZ
426 Portage Avenue I Winnipeg, MB I R3C 0C9
Office: 204.958.4636 I Cell: 204.232.9489 I Fax: 204.958.4630
Email: rose(a)downtownwinnipegbiz.com
<http://www.downtownwinnipegbiz.com/>
Couple more attached...
On Thu, Sep 19, 2013 at 1:56 PM, Beth McKechnie
<beth(a)greenactioncentre.ca>wrote:
> Here are a few photos (no people, as this was before it opened)...
>
> [image: Inline image 1]
>
>
> On Thu, Sep 19, 2013 at 12:39 PM, Daniel Gravenor <dgravenor(a)gmail.com>wrote:
>
>> The city has said the AT bridge is now open. Anyone have pictures?
>>
>> Disraeli Active Transportation Bridge now open
>>
>> Released: 11:08 a.m.
>>
>> *Winnipeg, MB* – The public is advised that the Disraeli Active
>> Transportation Bridge over the Red River is now open. The cycling and
>> pedestrian bridge is accessible from Rover Avenue on the south side of the
>> river and Midwinter Avenue on the north side of the river.
>>
>> A grand opening celebration will be held in the near future.
>>
>> Related links:
>>
>> - Disraeli Bridges Project<http://winnipeg.ca/publicworks/MajorProjects/DisraeliBridges/>
>>
>> *Last update: 19.09.2013 *
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> AT-Network mailing list
>> AT-Network(a)lists.umanitoba.ca
>> http://lists.umanitoba.ca/mailman/listinfo/at-network
>>
>>
>
>
> --
>
> *Beth McKechnie* | Workplace Commuter Options
>
> <http://greenactioncentre.ca/>Green Action Centre<http://www.greenactioncentre.ca/>
> <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/>
>
> 3rd floor, 303 Portage Ave | (204) 925-3772 | Find us here<http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/>
>
>
>
> Green Action Centre is your non-profit hub for greener living.
>
> Support our work by becoming a member<http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/memberships/>
>
The city has said the AT bridge is now open. Anyone have pictures?
Disraeli Active Transportation Bridge now open
Released: 11:08 a.m.
*Winnipeg, MB* – The public is advised that the Disraeli Active
Transportation Bridge over the Red River is now open. The cycling and
pedestrian bridge is accessible from Rover Avenue on the south side of the
river and Midwinter Avenue on the north side of the river.
A grand opening celebration will be held in the near future.
Related links:
- Disraeli Bridges
Project<http://winnipeg.ca/publicworks/MajorProjects/DisraeliBridges/>
*Last update: 19.09.2013 *